The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maternal deaths

  • ‘How to prevent maternal deaths in Lagos’

    ‘How to prevent maternal deaths in Lagos’

    Persistent maternal deaths can be prevented through timely medical intervention, enlightment programmes and public health extension services, Maternal and Reproductive Health (MRH) experts have said.

    Chiamaka Uwalaka and Funmi Owoso, Programme officer, extended the boundary of enlightment at “2025 Iyaloju Participatory Forum” at College of Medicine, Lagos.

    They said the statistics on reccurent death of women during pregnancy, labour and delivery are embarassing.

    At the forum were health workers, community leaders and representatives of groups collaborating with MRH.

    Established in 2007 in Lagos by Bosede Afolabi, MRH aims to cut maternal mortality and improve reproductive health.

    Currently, it focuses on pregnant women in 12 councils.

    At the forum, the “Iyaloju Project” and “Mama Base Programme”were reviewed and feedbacks collated on the effectiveness of the intervention.

    Participants raised cogent questions which elicited professional responses and there were breakout sessions on the various challenges targetted by MRH.

    Repesentatives from Safe Motherhood Initiative, Directorae of Medical Services and Disease Control and a heslth educator, Mrs. Sanmi Afolabi, also robbed minds with the participants.

    Lamenting the high maternal mortality rate in the country, Owoso attributed it to financial barriers, socio-cultural vales and activities of unlicensed birth attendant centres.

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    She said pregnant women should be informed about where they can seek assistance for quality care safe delivery.

    Osowo said MRH outeaches have been sustained to combat ignorance among women and doctors are being trained to properly handle emergencies.

    She hail the success of the ‘Mama Base’ initiative, which focusses on vulnerable pregnant women who live alone without help.

    The programme officer said MRH works with low income families to achieve safe delivery  when they register with government health centres.

    Owoso said: “In 2023, about 8 000 pregnant women were registered and 80 per cent delivered at the government-registered health centres.  They also attended anti-natals. 99. 5 percent of the pregnant women delivered safely.

    “We are now focusing on 12 local councils and our officers are looking for vulnerable pregnant women for registration. It is improper for women to die because they cannot afford less than N28,000 to take care of themselves.”

    Owoso spoke on mapping of areas of concentration, identification of targetted beneficiaries and linkages with government hospitals, where the cost of borne by the organisation.

    She also said the organisations has intensified its enlightment on living and nutrition in pregnancy, adding that follow-up is done by community extension workers.

    Urging pregnant women to embrace ‘Mama Base,’ Owoso added: “Mama Base tackles the probems of emergency.  The goal is to arrange transportation for them to the hospitals. We also offer referral and advocacy programmes.”

  • How Nigerian men can help reduce maternal deaths

    How Nigerian men can help reduce maternal deaths

    • By Ebuka Ukoh

    In Senegal, husbands are returning to school. Not to obtain degrees, but to learn how to save their wives’ lives. In community circles called “Schools for Husbands,” men gather to learn about maternal health, safe childbirth, and family care. This simple initiative is already decreasing maternal deaths by turning men into active, supportive partners in maternal healthcare.

    Contrast this with Nigeria. Just weeks ago, local newspapers reported yet another tragedy involving a young mother in Bauchi who bled to death after giving birth at home. Her husband admitted he thought antenatal visits were “women’s business” and didn’t realise his presence at the clinic could have made a difference. Her story is not unique; it reflects the harsh reality for far too many Nigerian families.

    We mourn these women, but mourning alone will not save the next mother. The truth is clear: Too often, Nigerian men are absent from the room where life-and-death decisions are made. Until that changes, no number of hospitals, midwives, or donor funds will suffice.

    Let’s do a quick reality check: Nigeria is a patriarchal society where cultural pressures compel individuals to uphold strict gender norms. Household decisions, from whether a woman attends antenatal care to where she gives birth, are often influenced by men. At the same time, Nigeria is deeply religious. That’s what makes the Senegalese example powerful: There, a spiritual leader is in charge.

    If Nigerian imams and pastors championed shared family roles, the ripple effects could be transformative. Urban and rural communities alike would benefit from tailored training—whether addressing high hospital costs in Lagos or long travel distances in Jigawa. Context may vary, but the principle remains the same: When men step up, women survive, and children thrive.

    Evidence is plentiful: When men participate in maternal health, outcomes improve. So does family life. Women are more likely to attend antenatal care, deliver with skilled birth attendants, and receive postpartum care. In states like Jigawa, where maternal health indicators are poor, male involvement is not optional—it is urgent.

    Campaigns that positively frame masculinity, portraying men as protectors and allies rather than bystanders, dismantle harmful stereotypes. When men embrace this role, couples communicate more openly, women feel supported, and children flourish.

    Religion can either entrench unhelpful norms or accelerate change. Both the Bible and the Quran emphasise family care as a sacred duty. The Bible urges parents to guide their children; the Quran calls for gratitude and righteousness within family life. These teachings are not gender-specific—they apply equally to fathers and mothers.

    If pastors and imams presented male engagement in maternal health as obedience to God, cultural resistance would give way to responsibility. Nigeria’s faith leaders hold the moral authority to turn silence into action.

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    Transforming male behaviour in reproductive health is about more than saving mothers—it reshapes society. Male engagement reduces early marriage, improves family planning uptake, and diminishes gender-based violence.

    It also directly links to girl-child education. Communities where men respect women’s reproductive autonomy are where girls are more likely to stay in school. Engaging men in maternal health, therefore, is not a distraction from gender equality—it is the very pathway to it.

    The question is no longer whether male engagement works; it is how Nigeria will act upon it.

     Pilot programmes: Train men and women together across rural and urban communities.

     Legislative frameworks: Enact laws and allocate funding to ensure male engagement is sustainable.

     Community dialogues: Foster brave spaces for men and women to challenge gender norms.

     Faith-based campaigns: Mobilise imams and pastors to preach shared family responsibility.

     Partnerships: Unite healthcare workers, educators, and community leaders to normalise men’s presence at clinics.

  • Lagos, SOGON to reduce maternal deaths

    Lagos, SOGON to reduce maternal deaths

    The Lagos State Ministry of Health and Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Lagos Sector have renewed their commitment to tackling maternal mortality,

    Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, stated this during a visit by a SOGON delegation led by former National President, Prof. Rotimi Akinola, and Lagos Sector Chairman, Prof. Abidoye Gbadegesin.

    Akinola emphasised that while abortion remains a sensitive issue, its impact on maternal mortality cannot be ignored.

    “We are not campaigning for abortion on demand. What we are asking for is a safe, policy-aligned approach to situations where termination is medically necessary,” he said.

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    Akinola urged the state government to provide policy  that enables healthcare providers to act safely and responsibly. “This is about saving lives, not debating morals. Maternal death from preventable causes, whether from unsafe abortion, lack of skilled care, or poor infrastructure is unacceptable. We must deploy all available mechanisms to protect our women,”  he added.

    To strengthen maternal health surveillance and accountability, both parties also discussed the need to  institutionalise the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system.

  • Nigeria recorded 75,000 maternal deaths in 2023, says MRHC

    Nigeria recorded 75,000 maternal deaths in 2023, says MRHC

    ..NGO tenders ‘MamaBase’ impact report in Lagos

    No fewer than 75, 000 maternal deaths were recorded in the country in 2023, a non- governmental body, Maternal and Reproductive Health Collective (MRHC), said yesterday. 

    To drasticaly reduce the high maternal mortality, which represents 28.7 percent of the global statistics, the organisation called for a collaborative plan and action to tackle the debilitating crisis. 

    Currently, the NGO is implementing an initiative, ‘MamaBase,’ a data-driven intervention that identifies and supports the most vulnerable, low income women from pregnancy to six weeks post-delivery in 12 local governments in Lagos State. 

    The councils are Epe, Alimoso, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Mushin, Ajeromi and Ojo. 

    Others are Amuwo-Odofin, Kisofe, Agege, Apapa and Eti-Osa.

    Giving an impact assessment of the initiative in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Olufunmilola Owosho, said MRHC began full implementation of the MamaBase programme across the 12 local governments in 2023, with a plan to link 5,000 women to formal healthcare within 12 months and ensure that at least, 80 per cent of them avcess matrrnal services at health facilities. 

    At the press conference held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ikeja, were government officials, health practitioners, researchers, development partnerd and medical students.

    Owosho said by November last year, the organisation had registered 7,883 pregnant womrn, adding that 7,467 babies were delivered through thr MamaBase project. 

    A permanent secretary from Lagos State Ministry of Health, Abimbola Mabogunje, lauded the project, saying that it has boosted maternal and reproductive health of targeted beneficiaries. 

    Owosho disclosed that through the initiative, emergency care and support were given to 144 women. 

    She called for partnership and collaboration with the various community resources in the course of expanding the scope of the project. 

    Highlighted the challenges encountered during project implementation, Owosho many women lack  health insurance and birth plan while lack of emergency transport facilities for women in labour and some social-cultural factors are impediments.

    He disclosed that the Phase 11 of the project, which would be a more streamlined process, would be extended to Kaduna State, adding that it would also focus on disadvantaged communities.

    The Senior Programme Manager (Research), Dr. Oluwatosin Laleye, who lamented that more pregnant women die, said the tragedies are driven by factors such as bleeding, infections, highpertension disorders, poverty and inequality, lack of education and socio’cultural factors. 

    She added:”Pregnant women shun primary health care because of the attitude of health workers. They also refuse to go to health centre because of medical cost.”

    Laleye said MRHC intervened to tackle these challenges through a detailed programme encompasing education and training of birth attendants, health education for pregnant women, home visits by community health workers, telehealth messages, research and advocacy. 

    Senior Data Manager Lekan Olagunju, said 79 percent of the targeted women delivered safely, stressing that the women also expressed satisfaction with the services rendered by the organisation. 

    The Research/Project Coordinator, Fehintoluwa Aluko, said the health seeking behaviour of pregnant women has tobe improved through education, enlightenment and support. 

    A representative of a development partner, David Lawal of Sterling Foundation, urged public spirited individuals and corporate bodies to respond to MRHC’s call for action in the interest of public welfare. 

    In collaboration with the Lagos State Government and its agencies, MRHC, in 2023 and 2024, trained 284 PHC docyors and 69 nurses on Emergency Obstetrics Care (EMOC). It also trained 884 health care work4at the Comprehensive PHCson Respectful Maternal Care in 2023 and another 1,078in 2024. 

    These interventions strengthen ealth systems by ensuring high quality, responsive care tailored to the needs of women in their communities.  

  • Maternal deaths: President selects Sokoto, others for special focus

    Maternal deaths: President selects Sokoto, others for special focus

    President Bola Tinubu has selected Sokoto as one the few states to focus on Accelerating Reduction of Maternal Newborn Deaths.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Salma Ibrahim Anas, announced this while briefing Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

    The presidential aide urged the state government to implement homegrown solutions for sustainable and improved maternal and newborn health outcomes in the state.

    She sought the highest level of political commitment to accelerate the reduction of maternal and newborn deaths in the state.

    Anas reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to improving access to healthcare delivery in Nigeria through the realisation of the UHC’s ‘Leaving No One Behind’ initiative.

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    The presidential aide said the President had endorsed eight priority areas, as recommended by the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) on Health, to reform the health sector for better performance and a major contributor to national development and job creation.

    She said: “Lead as the Chief Advocate and Champion for the state and explore actions of key drivers and social determinants of plus root causes associated with high maternal and newborn deaths in the state.

    “This presidential initiative on Acceleration of Reduction of Maternal Deaths is critical and integral towards the attainment of our UHC aspirations of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”